Online Therapy Arizona

Finding the right online therapy provider in Arizona is easy with a few guidelines, and Consumer Opinion Guide is here to give you a few pointers and help you find the best affordable online counseling without leaving your home! We will go over some information and statistics on the cost, popularity, and insurance coverage for online therapy in The Grand Canyon State, as well as provide you with some tips on how and where to look for online therapy provides.

Why online therapy?

There are numerous reasons why someone might want to choose online therapy instead of traditional, in-person, therapy. To start with, it is highly convenient. The fact that you can attend therapy sessions from the comfort of your home is reason enough for most to choose online therapy over conventional therapy. Second, since your therapist does not need to be in the same room (or even in the same state) as you, you will have access to therapists in the entire country!

Online therapy also benefits from greater anonymity and privacy, as well as flexibility. However, perhaps the greatest advantage that online therapy has over its traditional counterpart is that it is more affordable. Even the best online anxiety treatment will cost you much less than what you will need to pay for traditional, in-person, sessions. That is not to say that online therapy is cheap, though. Nor do we want to say that online therapy is there to replace the traditional form of therapy.

How popular is online therapy in Arizona?

The demand for online therapy services in Arizona is on the rise. While there are no exact numbers as to how many people use online therapy services in this state, we do have some data to extrapolate. According to the somewhat recent (May 27, 2021) national public opinion poll, the percentage of U.S. citizens that have used telehealth services has increased from 31% to 38%. Furthermore, almost 60% of the survey respondents said that they would use telehealth services for mental healthcare. Of course, telehealth is more popular with the younger population (18-29) than it is with older adults (65 and older).

While the COVID-19 pandemic may have influenced the rise of online therapy, almost half the people who were surveyed said that they will continue using telehealth services. The popularity of online therapy is also influenced by the state’s infrastructure. Arizona is the 21st most “connected” state in the country, with 48 internet providers, and 94% of the population having access to broadband internet. The largest metro areas, such as Tucson and Phoenix, have average internet speeds of around 130Mbps! With such great connectivity, it is easy for people to utilize online therapy services.

Benefits of online therapy in Arizona

Arizona is one of the worst states (ranked 42 out of 51) when it comes to easy access to mental health care. Furthermore, only around 40% of Arizona residents get treatment for mental health conditions. according to SAMHSA. The reason these numbers are so alarming is the fact that there have been some funding cuts for mental health services in this state over the past decade. However, while rather discouraging, these statistics also show some improvement compared with the situation in 2015, when Arizona was ranked the second-worst state in the USA for access to mental health care.

Most of the time, low numbers of Arizona residents who receive help for their mental health issues are due to the fact that therapy is not readily available. However, this is not the case for online therapy. Furthermore, the benefits of online therapy Arizona specialists provide are much the same as those found in traditional therapy. In fact, this treatment modality shows to be at least as effective as an in-person one. Furthermore, due to the fact that online therapy sessions are easier to arrange, online family therapy might be even more effective than traditional therapy. Aside from effectiveness, there are numerous other benefits, including:

• Greater accessibility
• Improved privacy
• Attending therapy sessions from the comfort of your own home
• Easier to practice social distancing
• Greater insight into your own home

The last point warrants additional explanation. Due to how online therapy is conducted, the therapist may have access to information that would be unavailable in a live session. Examples include a brief discourse with a parent or a sibling, interaction with a pet, etc. To a trained eye, this information might be invaluable when it comes to figuring out the best therapy approach.

Who is it NOT for?

Even though Arizona online therapy services might be a good fit for most people, they are simply not for everyone. For example, if you prefer your therapeutic experience to be in-person, it is doubtful that online therapy will be suitable for you. Furthermore, people that are facing a crisis or those that are uncomfortable with either using or learning new technologies will also find online therapy to be of little use.

Lastly, online therapy is not recommended for anyone who has difficulty managing their attention span. People that have ADHD, for example, will benefit from in-person focused attention much more than attending an online therapy session. Even the best online CBT therapy is practically useless if the patient cannot hold their attention on the screen, after all. There are other situations where it might be inadvisable to utilize telehealth services but they are few and far between. Even so, it is usually best to talk to your primary care provider before you sign up for online therapy sessions.

How much does online therapy in Arizona cost?

Even the best online therapy in Arizona is cheaper than average in-person therapy. This is due to the fact that online therapists have multiple means of lowering their overhead costs. Furthermore, it is much easier to schedule multiple online sessions, providing the therapists with more work and allowing them to lower the overall prices.

That being said, online therapy is not cheap. If you want to get the best online DBT therapy in Arizona, for example, you will need to spend (on average) anywhere between $50 and $80 a week. This number can go even higher, depending on the exact services you require, the number of sessions, and other circumstances. All in all, online therapy can become a considerable financial drain, meaning that you may want to try and have your insurance pay for it.

Does insurance cover Arizona online therapy?

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth was seldom covered by insurance in the state of Arizona. Even in the cases where insurance did cover online therapy Arizona professionals offer, the coverage was highly inconsistent. Some insurance providers only covered sessions that were done through video calls, for example. Others only covered online therapy for depression, while some only covered a certain number of sessions. Overall, it used to be that getting insurance coverage for online therapy is something that is difficult, complex, and confusing.

These days, the situation is much better. Most insurance providers will cover online therapy exactly the same as they would in-person therapy. There are some restrictions, of course, and they differ from one insurance provider to another. For example, Medicaid will only pay for live video sessions, remote patient monitoring, as well as some store-and-forward applications.

Furthermore, the state of Arizona has created several laws and regulations to make it easier for people to utilize telehealth services. For example, a certain executive order in March 2020 removed the requirement to meet your doctor face-to-face when establishing a doctor/patient relationship. What this means is that you can now get prescriptions via online services, without needing to actually “see” a doctor.

That being said, it is still quite important to be comfortable with your therapist. To get the most out of your therapy sessions, regardless of whether they are online or offline, you will need to know how to find the best therapist for your needs.

How to find the best online therapy in Arizona?

Finding the best online therapy provider can be quite a challenging task, especially if this is your first time doing so. Here’s a quick overview of what you will need to do:

• Consult your provider network first
• Get recommendations from people you trust
• Utilize local resources
• Utilize an online database

It is also not a bad idea to filter the therapists by their specialization. For example, if you are looking for online therapy for OCD, you will want your therapist to specialize in treating OCD. Furthermore, it is extremely important to understand that you need to “click” with your therapist. If you are feeling uncomfortable or that your sessions are not as productive as they can be, the best thing is usually to change your therapist. Even the world’s most renowned therapist might not be a good match for you, after all. The most important thing is how you feel.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at how to start looking for your online therapist.

Talk with your insurance provider in Arizona

The average cost of health insurance in Arizona is around $570 per month. This means that there is a good chance that your plan might be able to cover most of the online therapy expenses in Arizona.  Therefore, the first thing you will want to do is find out what services are covered by your insurance. It may so happen that your options are severely limited, or it may happen that you have a great deal of freedom when it comes to selecting your online therapy provider.

While talking to your insurance provider, make sure to find out whether your plan limits the number of sessions you can attend and whether your out-of-pocket costs are influenced by seeing an out-of-network therapist. Otherwise, you may find that the best online therapy for teens you have found might be out of your price range, after all. It is always best to fully understand the costs before you sign up for online sessions.

Get recommendations from friends, family members, and other people you trust

Even though the state of Arizona has done a lot to promote telemedicine after Governor Ducey’s Executive Order 2020-15, finding quality online therapy solutions can still be hard. The best way to find a suitable therapist in The Grand Canyon State may not be to type online therapy Arizona in your browser. Sometimes, it is best to inquire about them with your very own social circle. While people might not be comfortable talking about their own therapy experiences, they are usually more than forthcoming when it comes to providing therapy recommendations. Getting a recommendation from a person who knows and respects you can help you find a therapist that might be a good fit for you.

However, getting a referral from a friend or a family member is not a guarantee that you will like the therapist. After all, what might be a good match for your friend might not be a good match for you. Even so, it is worth exploring any options that come from a friendly source.

Consult local resources to find the best online therapy in Arizona

Depending on your current location, finding Arizona online therapy services can be rather easy or quite hard. For example, Phoenix is a city that houses 1.625 million people, meaning that there are ample local resources to explore. Living in Sun City, on the other hand, will provide you with far fewer resources. Students, for example, usually have access to various therapy services through their school’s counseling center. People that have a steady job might be able to go through their HR department and enroll in an employee assistance program, etc.

Furthermore, you may want to look into the Arizona Telemedicine Program. Created and operated by the University of Arizona, this program can provide you with numerous resources on telemedicine in the state. You may also want to take a look at AHCCCS (Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System), and DHS (Arizona Department of Health Services). These resources can be of great help if this is your first time encountering telehealth.

Online databases can be great sources of information

Lastly, you can utilize reliable online databases to find the best online therapy in Arizona. There are several reputable organizations that maintain up-to-date information about online therapists, including:

• Association of LGBTW+ Psychiatrists
• American Psychological Association
• American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists

It is also possible to use online databases to find specific online therapy programs. However, if you are looking for something highly-specific, such as the best online art therapy programs, online databases might not be the best option. That being said, they are the easiest option. All you need to do (most of the time) is type in your ZIP code to start the search!

Depending on the city, your search might take a while, though. For example, finding online therapy solutions in the city of Phoenix is considerably easier than finding similar solutions in Mesa. No matter which path you choose to take, however, finding quality online therapy Arizona healthcare offices provide is only a matter of time. But, try not to rush your decision. While it is possible to change therapists, it is always better if you find the right match straight away!

Find the best online therapy Arizona has to offer with Consumer Opinion Guide

If you need even more information about online therapy, Consumer Opinion Guide is your go-to resource! Our expert articles are here to provide you with all the answers to your questions! Explore our top picks of online therapy providers, and make and informed decision.

References:

https://www.psychiatry.org/newsroom/apa-public-opinion-poll-2021-access-to-care

https://mhanational.org/issues/ranking-states

https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/2015_Arizona_BHBarometer.pdf